The Mission
by The Watch Stander
Summary: Complete-A mission gone wrong and guess who's in trouble! PG for some violence


The Mission  
  
The Watch Stander © 2003  
  
AN: I had posted this a few months ago, but no one had read it so I removed it. It's mostly Trip and T'pol and it covers action/adventure, drama, angst, friendship. You name it!  
  
Anyhow, I'll leave it here awhile and see if anyone likes it.  
  
Please let me know what you think.  
  
***************  
  
T'Pol pulled herself up from the floor of the shuttle pod and steadied herself using the back of the copilot chair. Her head ached, but she didn't seem to have any major injuries, just minor bruises on her torso and limbs. Fortunately, the shuttle had come to rest right side up, even after rolling over several times after it crashed landed in the jungle on the planet. Looking around the shuttle pod cabin, she tried to locate its pilot. A pair of legs sticking out from the rubble in the back gave away his location.  
  
When she checked him for vital signs, he was still breathing, but unconscious. Quickly checking him further for injuries, she found large bruises on his side, indicating possible internal injuries, and a large gash on his head. With no time to delay, she had to bring him conscious, and get them away from the area before their assailants arrived. The medical kit was quickly retrieved and taking out what in essence were smelling salts, she broke the tube and waved it under the man's nose.  
  
He came to suddenly and started coughing violently.  
  
"What?" was the only intelligent thing he could finally manage to say as he looked up at T'Pol with watery, pain filled eyes. Only half awake, at her urging, he tried to sit up.  
  
She helped him and was rewarded with a sudden cry of pain from the injured man, as he leaned forward holding his side and cursing.  
  
"Son of a bitch!" Trip felt like his insides were ripping apart. The whole world tilted and he saw flashes of red.  
  
Finally catching his breath, he was able to take in the surrounding cabin noting the extensive internal damage of the shuttle.  
  
Oh God! Wait'll the Capt'n sees what I did to his shuttle!  
  
"Not one of my better landings," Trip tried to joke and failed.  
  
His mind was still groggy and the pain was excruciating every time he breathed. He was sorry now that he ever asked to go on away missions.  
  
"We need to leave, Commander, they will be here in a few minutes' time." T'Pol tried to get his attention focused on what she was saying. There was no time to waste on conversation, or the commander's jokes. The likely hood of their being able to out distance their pursuers grew slimmer with every passing moment.  
  
Taking a hypo spray out of the med kit, two vials, plus bandage pads, T'Pol managed to stuff them into a pocket in her jacket. There was no way she could carry the whole med kit, and no time to administer any first aid to the commander. As it was, she might just have to carry him since he didn't seem to be getting any stronger.  
  
Their predicament must have sunk into Trip's foggy brain, for he nodded in agreement and tried to stand. He couldn't seem to get his legs to push him upright, and his head spun.  
  
"I'm trying, T'Pol! Can't seem to get upright," he managed to say breathing heavily from the effort.  
  
In the end, T'Pol had to help him by putting his arm over her shoulders and assisting him out the shuttle doorway. They took only water, weapons, communicators and scanners, as they would need to travel fast and light. Their objective, the military compound, was over 6 kilometers away thru thick jungle undergrowth.  
  
They stopped outside as Trip told her, "Jam the door lock, might give us more time."  
  
After jamming the lock on the shuttle door, she again took the commander's arm and tried to hurry with him into the surrounding jungle. It would take their enemies time to open the pod hatch and search inside. Hopefully, she and the commander could cover enough ground to escape, before their pursuers entered the shuttle and found the occupants missing.  
  
They only went ½ kilometer before Trip, now out of breath and breathing raggedly, finally fell to his knees coughing.  
  
"Just give me a minute, T'Pol. I need to catch ma breath!"  
  
T'Pol was discouraged by the short distance attained; they needed to cover more ground. When she looked closely at Commander Tucker his face was ashen.  
  
After listening for sounds of pursuit, she crouched down next to him. His face was covered with perspiration and his eyes filled with pain. Coughing was causing him extreme discomfort and she didn't know what to do to alleviate it. First aid was out of the question, for that would take precious time that they didn't have. In the end, she opted for wetting a bandage with water from the canteen and wiping his face with it.  
  
Trip looked at her gratefully, exhausted from the exertion of running from the shuttle pod. Some of the worst pains he had ever felt went thru him, telling him that something was very wrong inside. He didn't think he could stand up again, never mind hike thru the jungle to the compound.  
  
It's lucky T'Pol's with me or I'd still be inside that shuttle, a sitting duck.  
  
T'Pol observed him closely with an impassive look and came to the conclusion, that the situation was no better now than it had been in the shuttle. He was too badly injured to go much further. She would have to make a decision soon that she had put off earlier. The commander was becoming a handicap, and it was something she couldn't allow to happen.  
  
Their whole mission depended on her reaching the Vulcan representative at the Mercian military compound in what now felt like 100 kilometers away at the rate they were going.  
  
Starfleet had assigned the Enterprise and its crew to help the Vulcan's try and end a 50-year war between two races, the Arons and Mercians. Neither side had been able in all that time to settle the dispute between them. It involved a dispute over several thousand acres of land that both claimed were theirs, and which held minerals that both sides wanted. A war could mean the annihilation of a whole race of people if the hostilities weren't stopped. The fighting between them now involved the killing of innocent civilians in raids as well as terrorist attacks in the towns and cities with both sides equally guilty.  
  
The Vulcan's had stepped in and were trying to aid the different sides in making peace and both sides were talking. However, a rebel fraction of Arons was trying to destroy that peace, as well as massacre every Mercian by using biological warfare.  
  
Captain Archer was intent on making this mission succeed. It was his way of showing the Vulcans that humans would be a help and not a hindrance. It had been a lucky break when one of the rebels had secretly sold the antidote for the biological weapon, to the captain earlier that week in a secret meeting. The information received from the rebel was encrypted and it took T'Pol two days to decrypt it. Getting it to the compound was of the utmost importance as it could mean the salvation of the Mercians.  
  
Accomplishing this task came before both T'Pol's and Commander Tucker's welfare.  
  
Since communications were being monitored, Archer had been adamant that the information must be hand delivered and had assigned his Chief Engineer as pilot to bring T'Pol to the compound with the information. They had maintained communication silence the whole flight to avoid rebel detection, and were within 20 minutes of the landing area when the shuttle engine was hit from below by a heat-seeking rocket. Without power, they crash landed in the jungle just 6 kilometers outside the compound.  
  
Somehow, the rebels managed to jam all communication frequencies, and the shuttle pod hadn't been able to report their predicament before they crashed. This also meant the compound's scanners would not work as well, so the two Enterprise officers were on their own with little chance of rescue.  
  
T'Pol looked back in the direction they had just come from, trying once again to listen for their pursuers.  
  
Trip had finally stopped coughing and watched the Sub-Commander closely, knowing she would hear their pursuers coming long before his ears reacted. Unlike him, she seemed to be fine. It was all he could do to catch his breath and guessed that it might be due to internal injuries.  
  
He knew how important this mission was to Archer. Its success would show the Vulcans they were more than capable of lending a helping hand when needed. Although Trip wasn't sure what information T'Pol was carrying, he knew that it was vital that it get to the compound and not into enemy hands.  
  
I'm in no condition to keep up with her and I'll just slow her down.  
  
He didn't relish the idea of her leaving him here, but he could see no other choice. Fear crept through him as the realization that being caught by the rebels could mean death. He wasn't a brave man, but he had to put the welfare of the Mercians before his own.  
  
It's really a no win scenario and therefore there is only one decision.  
  
"T'Pol, you're gonna have to leave me here. I can't keep up with ya; it's all I can do to just breathe. You could make it better without me and bring back help." Trip's southern accent seemed more pronounced as he tried to hide his pain and catch his breath.  
  
He said it sincerely knowing it was the only choice they had and what that choice could mean.  
  
She stopped listening for their pursuers and turned to look at the commander, considering what he had said. It was the same decision she had come to when she had first found him so badly injured in the shuttle.  
  
Leaving him in the shuttle had not been an option, since their pursuers might have killed the unconscious man and she would not allow that.  
  
Here in the jungle he at least has a chance to survive  
  
It wasn't a decision she looked forward to making. The commander was trying at times, but she had grown accustomed to his ways and would not want any harm to befall him if she could help it. Dinner in the Captain's mess would not be the same without the Commander there to stir things up and she would miss his presence.  
  
Captain Archer will not be pleased if I arrive at the compound without the commander, but we could try and come back for him. It is the only logical solution to the problem.  
  
Trip waited, heart pounding and fearing her answer, knowing it would seal his fate.  
  
The dreaded answer came at last . . .  
  
T'Pol didn't so much as blink when she said it. "All right." It was said without emotion, but it meant so much more, there would be no argument against his offer.  
  
I probably won't make it on my own, but I have to at least try.  
  
Accepting his fate he started to get up, determined to at least make the best effort he could to get away.  
  
I can do this; I just have to get on my feet.  
  
"Just give me a little head start and I'll lead them away from here. Give ya a better chance." His voice was weak due to the pain he was in, everything inside him hurt.  
  
T'Pol surprisingly grabbed his arm and held him seated for a moment while she dug out a hypo spray and one of the vials from her pocket. She loaded the hypo sprayer and leaned toward him intending to use it on his side to ease his pain.  
  
Trip stopped her, "What's that?" Suspicious of what she was injecting him with, he didn't want to be sedated. Awake and on his feet, he would have a better chance.  
  
T'Pol didn't have time to discuss this, "It's for the pain and will allow you to walk and breathe easier. Unfortunately it will only mask the pain for a short while, you must find somewhere to hide as I lead them away from this area."  
  
She started to unzip his jacket and he let her, too tired to argue. When she pressed gently on his side, he suppressed the pain it caused and the urge to cry out. The shot was given and Trip could feel the chemical working its way through his system, numbing his insides and calming his ragged nerves.  
  
Being this close to the commander, T'Pol could feel the heat from his body and suspected he was developing a fever. Perspiration on his forehead confirmed her suspicion. When she looked in his eyes, she saw a look of acceptance and hopelessness, and it almost changed her mind.  
  
If our roles were reversed, would he be leaving me behind, injured and helpless?  
  
Somehow she knew the answer would be, no, but she refused to think about it. Her duty was to the Mercian people and Captain Archer, and she must not fail, thousands of lives were depending on her.  
  
If the commander were a Vulcan, there would be no second-guessing the decision. One life to save many would not be considered worth discussing no matter the consequences to that person. Nevertheless, she found that it was a hard decision to make.  
  
I'm leaving him here.alone.  
  
After helping him to his feet, she turned away and Trip thought she was going to leave him just like that and head off into the jungle without so much as a goodbye.  
  
The realization hurt and he found himself disappointed and angry at her coldness.  
  
After all, we've been through the past two years how can she be this cold? I thought we were friends!  
  
He couldn't contain his sarcasm.  
  
"What, no fond farewells, . . . or kiss goodbye?" he quipped, hoping for at least a reaction of some kind, something . . .  
  
T'Pol froze and slowly turned around, she said nothing, but stared at him. There was pain in his eyes as well as something else. Sensing his emotions of disappointment and hurt, she didn't know what to say to him that would help.  
  
What can I say to him, he knows why I must go?  
  
Of all the people she worked with on Enterprise, the commander was the hardest one for her to deal with. He was even more volatile than the captain. His moods changed frequently and it was always a challenge to try and decide how to handle him at any given time. If they had more time, she could take a slower approach and handle this differently, but at present, there was no time to calm emotional outbursts from the commander.  
  
Seeing the look on her face, Trip realized that what he had just said was unfair, for she was risking her life as well and might not make it either. They were both under orders to deliver the information, no matter what.  
  
After all, I gave her the option to leave me . . . What did I expect her to say?  
  
"At least give a message to the Capt'n for me?" he said it softly trying to redeem himself and take away the bite from his previous remarks.  
  
"No!" was her cool reply.  
  
Trip just stood there dumbfounded by her refusal. It was the last thing he expected from her.  
  
"Anything you have to say to Captain Archer will be said by you in person, when we come back for you.  
  
I'm giving you an order; you will find a hiding spot and stay there while I lead them away from here. My ability to evade them is far better than yours, since I am not injured.  
  
When Captain Archer and I come back, I expect you to be waiting for us somewhere safe."  
  
The last sentence was stressed, noting the look of disbelief in the human's eyes. She wanted to assure him that she would return, and that she said this out of concern for his safety.  
  
"Do you understand your orders, Commander?"  
  
There was harshness in her words, but leaving him angry was the best way for him to not lose heart and stay safe. She would never admit it, but the crew of the Enterprise had come to mean something to her, and the two senior officers even more so. She felt responsible for them, it was her mission to keep them safe and out of harm's way.  
  
Trip steeled himself and nodded, too upset to argue, and unable to look her in the eye, he stared down at his feet.  
  
"Ah, Hell, T'Pol," He got up enough courage to look up and apologize, but found her... gone.  
  
I didn't even wish her good luck!  
  
**********************  
  
T'Pol made her way through the thick undergrowth aware that her pursuers were nearby. They had already tracked her and Commander Tucker this far, so she had little time to set up a diversion. She waited till they were almost on top of her hiding place and tried bolting through the undergrowth ahead making a fair amount of noise in hopes that they would follow her.  
  
Hearing the noise, her pursuers looked in the direction she ran, but suddenly they turned and headed in the one she had come from.  
  
There was no more time for evasion, and unaware the rebels hadn't followed, she left at a good pace heading for the military compound.  
  
************************  
  
It was slow going through the jungle foliage because of his injuries, even with the painkiller; Trip was short of breath and very unsteady on his feet. Drops of perspiration ran down his face and finally he was forced to stop. Peeling off his jacket, he tied it around his waist and took a long drink of water from the canteen.  
  
My face is so hot, must have a fever. Time I find a hiding place, can't last much longer.  
  
The sound of running water was coming from the jungle ahead, so he made his way toward it.  
  
All around him, birds and small animals seemed to chatter at him, making this all seem surreal. If it were not for the present circumstances he would have enjoyed the beauty of the foliage, but the steamy jungle air sucked what little energy reserves he had, leaving him exhausted. It took all his will power to put one foot ahead of the other and make his way thru the undergrowth.  
  
A stream appeared suddenly at Trip's feet and he stopped. Dizziness washed over him and forced him to look around slowly. Spotting a downed tree, he decided he could use it for cover and still be able to see if anyone was following him. He thought he heard the faint sound of voices that seemed to be getting closer; drawing his phase pistol, he headed toward the fallen tree.  
  
He laid down on the ground next to the tree and took several breaths, but not too deeply, for the pain was rearing its ugly head once again, causing stabbing pains inside him. All he could do now was wait and hope they didn't find him, or. catch T 'Pol.  
  
The silence became overwhelming as all sounds ceased in the surrounding jungle. Even though he felt like he could pass out, the fear of being found kept him awake and watching the trail as his heart raced and perspiration dripped down his face. The sound of the voices had stopped and he kept straining to hear any noise.  
  
Suddenly his side hurt as something heavy pressed on his back, pushing him into the ground and his phase pistol was grabbed out of his hand.  
  
They've found me!  
  
The Aron rebel removed his foot from Trip's back and two of his companions roughly pulled the engineer to his feet, causing him to cry out in pain as his side protested the sudden move. The sound of his cry echoing through the trees and surrounding jungle made Trip realize, that.  
  
I'm on my own.  
  
After a few moments, through watery eyes, he was able to look at his captors. There were three of them, and since T'Pol wasn't with them, he had to assume she had evaded them. It brought a slight smirk to his face.  
  
At least she's still safe.  
  
One of the rebels ran a hand-held scanner over him  
  
"It's human, so we have at least one of them." The device was also a translator.  
  
The other two rebels continued to hold onto Trip's arms effectively pinning him between them.  
  
"We intercepted your captain's message to your vessel. What information are you taking to the Mercian compound?" The leader with the scanner asked.  
  
Neither Archer nor T'Pol had told Trip what information the disk held, so he decided on honesty.  
  
" I don't know."  
  
It earned Trip a hard slap on the face, causing his ears to ring and his eyes to water. It also reopened the cut on his forehead causing blood to run down the side of his face.  
  
After shaking his head a few times, his vision started to slowly clear.  
  
The leader watched him carefully, sizing him up and trying to decide what to do next.  
  
Trip's legs were unsteady, but he didn't want to pass out. Part of him was hard as nails and stubborn and wanted to spit in his assailants' face, but he tried to quell this anger.  
  
If I don't, they'll just kill me. The more time they spend questioning me, the better the chances are for T'Pol to make it to the compound.  
  
T'Pol would bring help and come back for him. She'd told him so, and he didn't doubt it for a minute.  
  
"I want to know what information you have and I will get it one way or another. Search him."  
  
Trip was searched, his uniform jacket removed, and all items it held dumped on the ground. The rebel scanned him again, but looked disappointed at the readings.  
  
Trip could barely stand up, as they hadn't been too gentle in the search. The painkiller T'Pol had administered had worn off long ago, and now he was feeling every ache and pain. As he watched in despair, his scanner and communicator were destroyed by the leader's foot grinding them into the ground.  
  
"What is the information you are carrying?" the leader repeated.  
  
"I'm just the Pilot." Trip managed to say, and knowing another blow was coming, he tried to steel himself.  
  
It was still unexpected and extremely painful. The blow to his stomach made him gasp and see red as his insides screamed in protest. He was hit again and this time passed out.  
  
The two guards dragged the unconscious human over to the shallow stream, dropped him in it face down and waited.  
  
Trip came to suddenly, as the cold water swept over him and he started to cough from water that he had swallowed. He was quickly pulled out of the stream and once more held upright between the two guards.  
  
It felt like his insides were torn open, which caused tears to blur his vision. Leaning forward and coughing, he spat up water and blood, the sight of which brought a cold realization to him.  
  
I'm a goner, and T'Pol wouldn't let me send a goodbye to Jon. I just hope he realizes what a good friend he was.  
  
"I'm waiting for the answer," was all his assailant said to him.  
  
Trip's head was pounding now along with his heart, but there really wasn't anything he could tell the rebel leader, he knew nothing. There would be consequences for his lack of information. .  
This was going to get very ugly and soon.  
  
Trip wasn't a coward, but anyone who said they were never afraid, was a fool. His southern accent became even more pronounced since he was in pain and there was fear evident in his shaky voice as well.  
  
"I'm telling ya, I'm just the pilot, they don't share info with me."  
  
Saying it brought on a coughing fit and he spat up more blood and almost sank to his knees, but the two guards holding onto his arms held him up.  
  
The leader made a fist to hit him.  
  
Seeing the fist Trip gasped, "It's the truth!" hoping not to be struck again.  
  
In the end, the leader kept hitting him, until Trip no longer felt it or cared. Finally, he was dropped on the ground face first in the dirt and kicked by one of them. Barely conscious, Trip could hear them talking over him.  
  
"Shall we kill him?" one of them asked.  
  
"No, we can leave him here as a decoy in case we don't catch the other one. They will try to find him and while they look, we can make our escape."  
  
"He is of no use to us and was probably left behind for us to find, while the other one headed toward the compound."  
  
"Your scanner must have missed the other's bio signs. Are you sure you had it set for a human's?"  
  
"I'm sure!" one of them answered.  
  
"Let's go, we've already wasted too much time."  
  
Trip lost interest when wracked by coughing fits; he finally passed out, regretting that he hadn't wished T'Pol good luck.  
  
************************  
  
T'Pol made her way quickly toward the compound and away from her pursuers; she stopped for a moment to listen but couldn't detect any signs of pursuit.  
  
A cry seemed to echo through the trees from the distance, but she couldn't discern what it was. It sounded human, and for a moment, she thought about going back for the commander. Logic won out, even if it was the commander there was nothing she could do. A decision had been made and she must act on it.  
  
A bird like creature flew by her and made a similar call. Taking a deep breath she hoped that the sound heard earlier had been a bird as well. Once again, she headed for the compound that was now only 3 kilometers away. The quicker she got there the sooner they could come back for the commander. Concern for him made her hurry all the more.  
  
The Commander had known he had little chance, but he offered to stay anyway.  
  
She found that she respected him for having the courage to do that. Commander Tucker was definitely an enigma that she would have to try and solve.  
  
Humans never ceased to amaze her with their courage as well as emotions. Once she arrived at the compound she would find Captain Archer and come back to get the commander. There was no way she would allow him to be abandoned by the Vulcan contingent there. Captain Archer wouldn't rest till he found his friend, of that she was certain.  
  
************************  
  
Trip's mind went from wakefulness to fever induced hallucinations, and at one point even imagining his attackers were back to finish the job. Despair filled him and he wanted to shout for help, but when he tried, he started to cough up more blood.  
  
The afternoon thunderstorm sent sheets of cold water into the humid jungle cooling it down and Trip with it. He awoke when cold drops of water pelted his face and his back, soaking him thoroughly down to the skin. The cold water felt good at first, but then came the chills and he started to shake. Visions of cold water and warmth swam through his mind as he went from fever to chills, unable to so much as move, too weak from the beating and his injuries. Finally, in his delirium, he called out for T'Pol to hurry and even Jon, but no one came to help him.  
  
They're not coming! Went through his fever filled mind.  
  
Alone and now afraid, he drifted into the waiting blackness.  
  
************************  
  
T'Pol delivered the disc to the Vulcan representative at the compound. He was an elder Vulcan, someone who had presided over many battles between different races as well as helping others make peace. When she told him about Commander Tucker needing rescue, he seemed dispassionate.  
  
He held up the disk in his hand, "This is all that's important now Sub Commander, not the human. Because of this information, many lives will be saved. One human life is hardly worth worrying about."  
  
Seeing the look on her face, he added not unkindly, "He's probably dead, the rebels don't take prisoners."  
  
To T'Pol's surprise, she found his words unacceptable, Commander Tucker wasn't to be written off so quickly. Captain Archer would never sacrifice any of his crew so callously without trying to get them back. The Vulcan's attitude brought out emotions of anger she didn't realize she even had, and further concern about Commander Tucker's welfare.  
  
I will go back for the commander with or without the Vulcan's help; I will not allow him to be abandoned.  
  
She could still see the look in the commander's eyes when she had left him, and it kept haunting her.  
  
If Captain Archer isn't in the compound then I'll steal a scout ship and go out alone.  
  
She was just leaving to try and find the captain, when he came into the Vulcan's office looking for her.  
  
"I heard you were here," a look of relief washed over Archer's face and he smiled. "Glad you made it ok."  
  
When Trip and T'Pol hadn't arrived, fear for their safety had been the only thing on his mind for the past four hours. There had been no way to locate them with all the scanners blocked and that included Enterprise's as well. He had feared the worst.  
  
Looking around the room and not seeing the commander, he turned back to her, "Where's Trip?"  
  
T'Pol prepared herself for his anger, "I had to leave the commander behind."  
  
"What?" Disbelief and worry covered his face almost instantly, "Why?"  
  
She took a breath, "He was badly injured in the shuttle crash and we agreed to split up. I ordered him to hide and wait for us to come back for him."  
  
Archer heard the words, but didn't want to believe that Trip was still somewhere out there in the jungle, alone and hurt. "We'd better get the shuttle pod and go find him," he would discuss her reasons for leaving Trip behind, later.  
  
Just then Lt Reed came through the door into the office, he also smiled when he saw T'Pol. He had also been worried, knowing that the two officers were in trouble and he was unable to help them.  
  
"Glad to see you, Sub Commander. How did you and Commander Tucker make it here?"  
  
She nodded to his greeting, but said nothing, allowing the captain to explain it to him.  
  
"Trip's injured and still out there, Malcolm, we need to take our shuttle pod and find him," there was urgency in his voice and Reed picked up on it.  
  
"Yes, Sir. Oh, I came to tell you the jamming signal has stopped and we have scanners and communications back."  
  
Reed was glad to deliver that bit of good news, knowing that if they were to find Commander Tucker, they would need their scanners now more than ever.  
  
Hopefully, we won't be too late.  
  
************************  
  
The realization that he must be dying finally dawned on Trip, when his mind gave him what he asked for.  
  
Someone's strong hands gently rolled Trip over and lifted his head up against their shoulder, making it easier for the injured man to breathe.  
  
A feeling of well being washed over Trip and he turned his face into his rescuer's shoulder, grateful for the offered comfort. A slight trace of aftershave fragrance was present on the material he leaned against, and it reminded Trip of breakfast at the captain's mess with T'Pol and Jon.  
  
Always made me laugh when T'Pol sniffed the air whenever Jon entered the mess practically reeking of aftershave. I'm sure he wore it on purpose just to get her reaction.  
  
Imagining that the Capt'n was here with him had to be another fever induced hallucination.  
  
It didn't matter, for there were worse ways to die than in your best friend's arms, even if you were imagining it.  
  
It was much better than dying alone...  
  
T'Pol was also here. Trip recognized her voice when she spoke as something cold wiped the side of his forehead. He couldn't understand her words; everything seemed garbled and far away as if in a fog.  
  
Fingers touched his neck with something cool and the pain started to fade. Whatever it was went through his system, numbing all feeling and taking away all the pain and hurt. It numbed his insides as well as his brain.  
  
Trip thought it was the feeling of death coming to collect him, but he no longer cared. His crewmates were here, even if he was imagining them, he felt at peace.  
  
Another familiar voice, Malcolm's, drifted through the fog and then strong arms lifted Trip up off the ground.  
  
The fog started to cloud his brain and everything seemed to fade into the blackness that called to him, wanting payment for giving him what he had asked for.  
  
Safe now in his imaginary world of crewmates and friends, Trip surrendered to his fate and fell into the beckoning black abyss.  
************************  
  
They had found the crashed shuttle with their scanners, and then on foot backtracked into the surrounding jungle. Following T'Pol's lead they found human bio signs. It was Captain Archer, who finally spotted what appeared to be a pile of rags lying on the ground near a stream.  
  
Both he and T'Pol feared the worst when they saw the engineer's still body lying face down in a puddle of mud, covered with blood and dirt.  
  
Archer gently rolled his friend over, slipped his arm under Trip's head and leaned him against his shoulder. Trip was feverish and completely out of it. Bruises and blood on his face showed that he had been badly beaten.  
  
"Trip?"  
  
Jon's worried question didn't get a response. He looked at T'Pol, who had wet a bandage in the stream and was now using it to gently wipe the blood and dirt off the injured man's face.  
  
"They must have interrogated him for information," she surmised in a quiet tone, hoping that Archer understood she had no other choice but to leave the commander. When they had first found him, she had feared he was dead.  
  
"You mean beaten don't you? These people are animals, how can they justify beating an injured man?" Archer snapped.  
  
Archer was angry and he started to lift Trip in his arms and stand, but was stopped by T'Pol. She pulled out a hypo spray from the med kit and gave Trip a shot in the neck.  
  
"It's better that we sedate him before you move him. He has internal injuries," she answered his questioning gaze.  
  
Archer nodded, "We need to get him to Enterprise, I don't want to lose him by wasting any more time."  
  
Reed joined them after checking the area for any signs of the rebels. He was shocked by Trip's battered appearance and stepped forward quickly to help as Archer tried to pick up the commander to carry him. With Reed's help, Archer was able to lift Trip up in his arms and stand.  
  
"Don't want to drop him, Sir, and add any more bruises," Reed said, trying to offer to help carry the commander, but Archer was already heading back to their shuttle. Working against time to try and save his friend.  
  
************************  
  
T'Pol sat down in the back of the shuttle pod, next to the couch that Commander Tucker was lying on. Archer had gone forward to the copilot seat to help Reed fly them back to Enterprise.  
  
She stared at the still form of the commander, who hadn't stirred once since Archer had placed him on the couch. There was no way to tell if he would even survive. Thinking that he might not live brought feelings to the surface that she couldn't identify and would have to meditate on.  
  
Wetting a bandage, she gently placed it across his forehead trying to appease the fever that waged war inside his body. Then she covered the commander with a blanket and tucked it around him as his uniform was still wet  
  
Sitting here watching him gave her time to think about her mission on Enterprise and the decisions she had to make concerning this crew. Working with humans had been very difficult and had taken its toll on her; they disrupted the flow of order that she lived by. Their volatile nature and emotions conflicted constantly with the logic of how things should be done. Quite often, these emotions caused them to make foolish decisions and put them all in harm's way. It was up to her as First Officer and advisor to show them the logical way to do things and avoid risk if possible. A task that seemed at times, almost impossible...  
  
Captain Archer was a risk taker and had often been willing to sacrifice himself in order to save Enterprise. This self-sacrifice was an emotional act the human species shared, but it also was a logical decision as well, if it would save the ship and the rest of the crew. The comparison was not lost on her, for Commander Tucker had pointed out the similarities between logic and emotion more than once. His offering to stay behind had been just such an example, willing to sacrifice himself, so that she could get the information to the Vulcan's at the compound and possibly save an entire race of people.  
  
There were always consequences for both one's actions and decision's, unfortunately, her decision to leave the commander behind had resulted in his being captured and severely injured. This disturbed her, but the decision to leave him behind had been the only logical choice, one shared by Commander Tucker.  
  
It would take solitude and quiet to decide what this all meant to her and the fulfillment of her mission on Enterprise. Later, in her quarters, she would meditate and try to come to a decision as to how she could better handle her circumstances and decisions concerning these humans.  
  
She would also have to decide how to handle her growing concern for the welfare of the Enterprise crew, especially the senior staff that she worked so closely with. Somehow, their lives were becoming intertwined with hers and she found hidden emotions beginning to surface whenever one of them was in danger or injured. It was very. unsettling.  
  
************************  
  
Trip came back from somewhere that seemed far away, working his way slowly back to consciousness. He took a deep breath and was surprised, when for once; it didn't send spasms of pain through his entire body. Someone placed a hand on his shoulder and he opened his eyes to fuzzy surroundings that resembled the sickbay.  
  
The very worried face of Jonathan Archer was looking down at him.  
  
"Trip?"  
  
Trip closed his eyes again trying to clear his vision,  
  
I hope this is real and not imagined.  
  
Once more, he opened his eyes and Jon was still there looking even more worried.  
  
"Capt'n, what happened?" he finally managed to say slowly and in a very weak voice.  
  
This response brought a smile of relief to Jon. Three days had gone by since they had found Trip beaten and left for dead and Jon had feared that his friend would never wake up.  
  
How many times has he been brought into sickbay? It seems the coldness of space is always trying to claim Trip, as if it needs him as much as we do.  
  
"I think your smart mouth must have gotten you into trouble again," Archer replied, trying to lighten the mood. "You look terrible," he added. It was a joke they always used between them, when one of them was concerned with the other's well being.  
  
"You should see the other guy," Trip managed to whisper, so glad that Jon was really here and he was safely back on Enterprise.  
  
Jon's smile widened, glad to see his friend was able to joke.  
  
"We almost lost you, Trip. Took Phlox two days to get you stabilized. I think you're crossed off any more away missions for a while."  
  
"Ya won't get any arguments from me, Capt'n," his head was still fuzzy, but events that happened were coming back. "How's T'Pol?" sudden concern clouded his face.  
  
Archer smiled, " T'Pol is fine and when I debriefed her, she told me that you offered to stay behind, so that she would have a better chance to get to the compound."  
  
Jon watched his friend's face closely; he still wasn't comfortable with what T'Pol had done, even though it was strategically correct. The consequences had almost cost Trip his life. Jon wanted to hear Trip's side of the story.  
  
" I couldn't make it to the compound. If she hadn't left me, we both would have been caught and probably killed," Trip stated. "We both agreed it was the right decision."  
  
Since Trip didn't sound upset and agreed with T'Pol's report, Jon decided to drop it and lighten the mood again.  
  
"I thought if anyone on Enterprise could keep you out of trouble it would be T'Pol, that's why I sent you with her. Seems that I was wrong."  
  
Trip's eyebrows both rose and then came together making his expression almost comical. Jon had to stifle the urge to laugh.  
  
"I don't know how you two got along, but she said after dealing with you on this mission, she had to use up two meditation candles! John smiled, then added,  
  
And she wasn't pleased!" Jon loved adding that when he saw Trip's face light up in a huge smile.  
  
"Damn, I wish I had been there when she told you that!" Trip smirked and they both started to laugh. END 


End file.
